This invention is directed to an ionizer for ionizing oxygen used in all types of oxygen therapy.
Ionized oxygen inhalation therapy (IO.sub.2 IT) consists of a brief inhalation with a defined mixture of medical oxygen and selectively negative or positive oxygen ions for therapeutic or preventive purposes. IO.sub.2 IT refers to partial and polar ionization of medical oxygen with a suitable oxygen ionization device for inhalation therapies.
Almost without exception, oxygen ionizers available on the market produce many millions of ions per cm.sup.3 /sec. An insufficient amount of these ions reaches an inhalation mask, however, because over 90% of the ions are discharged in an inlet tube between the ionizer and a face mask. A higher compressive stress feed can be used to release more ions; ozone, however, which is classified as a respiratory poison, is produced as a by-product.
Ionizers which attempt to solve this problem, ionize directly in front of the inhalation mask and use plastic as a contact safety device. Plastic, regardless of the type, destroys ionization. Therefore, such solutions must be deemed unsatisfactory.